Urgent clarity is needed on building regulations regarding cladding to prevent firms being barred from working on high-rise buildings by their insurers in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire.

Several consultants spoken to by Building said their insurers are refusing to provide professional indemnity insurance for work on cladding for high-rise buildings, with insurers suggesting only regulatory clarity will reduce their risks in providing cover.

The industry is supposed to be gearing up to replace aluminium composite material (ACM)-based cladding systems on 304 towers across the UK which are deemed to be in breach of building regulations following checks in the wake of the Grenfell fire. However, the programme is being held up by skills and funding shortages, as well as a lack of clarity over what the cladding should be replaced with.

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